Friday, May 22, 2015

TED Radio Hour: Why Do We Cheat?

TED Radio Hour
Based on TED Talks given by very interesting speakers, each show is centered on a common theme – such as happiness, innovation, power, or unexplainable connections – and includes in depth conversations with the speakers of the TED Talks. See more at the TED Radio Hour website



Audio Time: 12 min 9 sec

Level: Advanced and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including  Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Buggy: having many problems or errors that prevent proper operation, mainly for computer programs or systems; having many bugs.

Behold: to look at something; to see something.

Marvel: someone or something that is extremely good, skillful, etc.

Predictable: capable of being known before happening or being done.

Enron: A very successful American company that was destroyed because the leaders cheated and lied about their accounting methods.

To come on the scene: to arrive at a place; to become part of the situation.

To explode: to increase very quickly.

(Bad) Apple: bad member of a group who causes problems for the rest of the group.

Endemic: common in a particular area or field.

To giggle: to laugh in a nervous or childlike way.

To put the spin on something: to twist an event or story to one's advantage.

To shred: to cut or tear (something) into long, thin pieces.

To live up to expectations: to be as good as one expects it to be.

Prevalent: common or widespread.

To fudge: to change (something) in order to trick people.

The Ten Commandments: In the Jewish and Christian religions, the most important rules given by God that tells people how to behave.

Atheist: A person who believes that God does not exist.

Honor code: A set of rules or ethical principles for an academic community (school or university) that define what is honorable behavior for its members.

MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; one of the world’s top universities, especially for science and technology.

Incentive: something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder.

Token: a round piece of metal or plastic that is used instead of money.

Distorted: to change something so that it is no longer true or accurate.

Stock: a share of the value of a company, which can be bought, sold, or traded as an investment.

Derivative: a certain type of financial investment.

Mortgage: a legal agreement in which a person borrows money to buy property (such as a house) and pays back the money over a period of years.

To behoove: to be necessary or proper for someone.


Grammar Tip:  Words in Context: To cheat

As a verb:

To break a rule or law usually to gain an advantage at something; no object.

They wouldn’t have won the game if they hadn’t cheated.

She usually cheats at cards.

He failed the class because he cheated on the exam


To take something from someone by lying or breaking a rule; + object.

Criminals often try to cheat elderly and naive people out of their money.


To prevent someone from having something that he or she deserves or was expecting to get.

The tour company said that the trip would be great, but it was so awful that they felt cheated out of a great vacation.


To avoid (something bad, dangerous, etc.) by being cleaver or lucky; + object.

Every time he climbs mountains without safety equipment, he feels like he’s cheating death.


To break a promise made to (someone, such as your wife or husband) by having sex with someone else (informal).

The second time he cheated on his girlfriend, she left him for good.


As a noun: Cheat or cheater

Don’t trust him. He’s a dirty, rotten cheat.

Cheaters never prosper (a common expression).

Discussion questions:
1. Why do people cheat?
2. Do you agree with the saying “cheaters never prosper?”
3. What’s your ‘personal fudge factor’? Are there little things that are okay to cheat at and where is the line that should not be crossed to bigger things?
4. What helps make people cheat less often?
5. Is it ever fair to cheat or do something against the rules if it’s for a good cause?
6. Do you agree with the speaker that we need to challenge our intuitions about cheating?
7. Does money keep people honest?
8.  How should society deal with cheaters and prevent cheating? 

Friday, May 15, 2015

What It Takes (And Means) To Learn English as an Adult


Audio Time: 5 min 53 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Adult: a fully grown person or animal. 

To add up:  to be added together and equal the expected or correct total.

Challenge: a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do.

Immigrant: a person who comes to a country to live there.

Poverty: the state of being poor.

Integrate: to combine (two or more things) to form or create something.

Society: the people of a particular country, area, time, etc., thought of especially as an organized community.

To Make it (somewhere):  to reach or go to (a place).

To break out: to begin happening suddenly.

Desperate: having a strong need or desire for something or to do something.

Off and on: starting, stopping, and starting again; not constant or steady over a period of time.

Gap: a hole or space where something is missing.

Juggle: to do (several things) at the same time.

Child Care: the things that are done to take care of children especially when their parents are away or at work.

Household: of or relating to a house or to the people living in a house.

Principal: the person in charge of a public school.

Incredible: difficult or impossible to believe.

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone.

Bartender: a person who serves drinks at a bar or restaurant.

Attendant: assistant;  an employee who serves or helps customers.

Yep: (informal) yes.

To get out (of somewhere): to leave.

To grow up: to become an adult.

To hold back: to stop (someone) from doing something.

Limited:  not high or great in number, amount, etc.

Stepchild: your wife's or husband's child by a past marriage or relationship : a stepson or stepdaughter.

Research: careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something.

Acquisition: the act of getting or acquiring something.

Equivalent: having the same value, use, meaning, etc.

To require: to make it necessary for someone to do something.

Competence: the ability to do something well.

To keep at it: to continue doing or trying to do something.

Confused: unable to understand or think clearly.

Obvious: easy to see, notice, or understand.

Road Trip: a long trip in a car, truck, etc.

Longingly: a strong desire for something or someone.

Cohesion: a condition in which people or things are closely united; unity.

Fabric:  woven or knitted material; cloth.

Grammar Tip: Using Make and Do Collocations

One of her classmates says longingly, she'd love to make American friends.

…many of his adult students make incredible sacrifices to come to class.

Using do and make collocations can be a challenge for English learners. The truth is that there often is no way to know whether to use do or make besides memorizing the proper collocation. However, the good news is that there are a few guidelines that can help learners know when to use each word.

Guidelines for using DO:

We often use do for daily activities or jobs that do not produce a physical object.

Do homework, do the dishes, do the laundry, do a job, do the shopping

We also use do when we speak about things in general, but don’t specifically name this activity. Instead the words used are something, nothing anything, everything, etc. 

He has done nothing all day.

She would do anything for her Mom.

Guidelines for using MAKE:

Make is often used for constructing, building and creating something you can touch.

Make food, make a cup of tea, make clothes, make a mess

As already noted, like much of English, there are many make and do collocations that do not follow these guidelines, and must simply be memorized.

Make money, do someone a favor, do business, make a decision, do good, make a plan

Discussion questions:
1. What challenges do you have for learning English?
2. What sacrifices have you made to learn English?
3. What are the rewards for learning English?
4. What are the positive and negatives sides to learning English as a child or as an adult?
5. What are some of the differences between learning English as a child and as an adult?
6.  How can busy people learn English or other languages more easily?
7. What’s the best age to learn a language?
8. Can learning another language make someone have more understanding or patience with someone who tries to speak this person’s native language?


Monday, May 11, 2015

'Let's Touch Base' On the Americanisms Brits Love To Hate


Audio Time: 4 min 14 sec

Level: Intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s  level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary and other sources.

To Touch Base: (informal, US) to meet and talk as a way of learning about recent news.
Americanism: a word or meaning that is common in U.S. English but is not common in the kinds of English spoken outside the U.S.

Brit: (informal) British.

Based: Located in a certain place; usually the place where one is currently living or working or both.

Quiz: a short spoken or written test that is often taken without preparation.

In common: shared together.

Twenty-four-seven: (informal, US) all the time; twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

Hey, you guys: (informal, US) to call group of people; can be used for men and women.

My bad: (informal, US) my fault; my mistake or an apology.

To creep: to move slowly and quietly especially in order not to be noticed.

Traditionalist: a person who believes that older ways of doing or thinking about things are better than newer ways: a person who follows a particular and established tradition.

To miff: (informal) to slightly annoy or anger someone.

Equivalent: having the same value, use, meaning, etc.

Gentleman: a man who treats other people in a proper and polite way.

Thrilled: very excited and happy.

Sidewalk: (US) a concrete path along the side of a street for people to walk on.

Lorry: (UK) a vehicle that carries things; a large, heavy vehicle that is used to move large or numerous objects; (US) truck.

Wardrobe: (UK/US) a room, closet, or chest where clothes are kept; a collection of clothes that a person owns or wears.

To bug: to annoy someone.

Exaggeration: to think of or describe something as larger or greater than it really is.

‘cause: (informal) because.           

Conscientious objector: a person who refuses to serve in the military because of moral or religious beliefs.

To run (something): to direct the business or activities of (something).

Defunct: no longer existing or being used.

To picture (something/someone): to have a thought, understanding, or idea about (something or someone)

To be down with something: (informal, US) to be comfortable or have knowledge about something.

Prim and proper: someone who behaves in a very formal and correct way.

To fret: to worry or be concerned about something.

Nay: (old-fashioned) No.

Whinge: (informal, UK): to complain in an annoying way.

Tidbit: a small piece of food, news or interesting information.

Tit: a woman’s or animal's breast.

Lexicographer: a person who creates  dictionaries.

Enthusiastic: feeling or showing strong excitement about something.

Beloved:  very much loved; dearly loved.

Verve: great energy and enthusiasm.

Vitality: a lively or energetic quality.

Joyride: (informal, US)  a fast car ride taken for pleasure.

Hoodlum: ( US) a tough and violent criminal.

Deadbeat: (informal, US) a lazy person; a person who does not work.

Frazzled: (informal, US) to make (someone) very nervous or upset.

Bluff: to pretend that you will do something or that you know or have something in order to trick someone into doing what you want.

Skedaddle: (informal, US) to leave a place very quickly.

Highfalutin(g): (informal,US) seeming or trying to seem great or important.

Lift: (UK) a machine used for carrying people and things to different levels in a building; elevator (US).

To stick: to become difficult or impossible to move from a place or position.

Apparently: used to describe something that appears to be true based on what is known.

To make it a thing: To make something popular.

Dispatch: an important official message.

Cheers: (UK, informal) goodbye.

Tips on Learning and Using New Vocabulary:
·         Try to understand the vocab in the context of a full sentence.  Remember that the key to understanding and using words and especially expressions is to know the proper collocations (the proper combination of words; for example make money NOT do money). This can be done by paying careful attention to how words and expressions are used in written and spoken contexts.

·         Make sentences with the word.  If you can memorize one simple sentence with the vocab, it may help you recall the word later. Sentences that use common collocations or are personally meaningful to you are especially are good.  This method helps the student actively  use the word, which helps you remember it as well. Of course, if you can be more creative and make difference sentences, that is useful too (see ‘make it a game’ below). However, be careful. It can be difficult for English learners to make sentences with proper collocations (especially with expressions), so before you decide on a simple sentence to memorize, confirm that it is correct with an English teacher or educated native speaker.

·         Use other methods to create associations with new vocab. Making sentences with new vocab is just one way of making associations between vocab you already know and new vocab. Creating connections between different things is the way our memories work, so this is an important concept to understand for language learning. Any way you can make associations between new vocab and something you already know can help you learn the world. It can even be associations between new vocab and another memory, image, sound, or rhyme. Mnemonics is a method that helps you find special tricks to make associations with new things, and can be very helpful.

·         Make it a game. Try to think of different ways you can make learning new vocabulary fun and interesting. For example, try to use the vocab at least 5 times a day or try to write a song or poem with new vocab.

·         Use it or lose it. The more you actively use new vocabulary by speaking and writing, the more it will reinforce the connections in your brains and help your brain learn that this is important information that shouldn’t be forgotten. As the Russian proverb goes, “repetition is the mother of learning”. In order to keep new vocab in your memory, you must regularly use it. The frequency of repetition can usually decrease with time. For example, for the first few weeks, you may find it important to review new vocab every day, but after some time, you may need to review less frequently, as the new vocab becomes part of your long-term memory.

Discussion questions:
1. What is your favorite expression from the story?
2. Is it important to learn informal expressions and slang?
3. What do you think about Americanisms creeping into British English?
4. What do you think about Americanism creeping in your native language?
5. What foreign words or expressions have crept into American English?
6. What are the positive and negative sides to words and expressions from one language becoming part of another language?
7. What languages will people speak in 200 or 500 years?
8. Should native English speakers try to speak Global English when traveling to non-English speaking countries or when working in an international context?



Friday, May 1, 2015

Change Your Habits And You'll Be 'Better Than Before'




Audio Time: 4 min 50 sec

Level:  Upper intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  Vocab probably unknown to intermediate speakers is provided to help with comprehension of the text. Vocab in bold is more useful for the intermediate to upper-intermediate level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the report (in general, most learners should try to study no more than 8-10 words per day for optimal learning).

Definitions are written with the help of Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Building blocks: an important piece of something that is used to form something larger.

Meditation: 1. the act or process of spending time in quiet thought; the act or process of meditating; 2. Specific mental exercises to help clear and calm the mind and to reach greater spiritual insight.

To Uphold (Upholder): to support or defend something.

(New Year’s) Resolution: a promise to yourself that you will make a serious effort to do something that you should do.

Arbitrary:  1. not planned or chosen for a particular reason; 2. not based on reason or evidence; 3. done without concern for what is fair or right.

To Oblige (obliger): to do something that someone has asked you to doto do a favor for (someone).

To let down: to fail to give help or support to (someone who needs or expects it); to make someone unhappy by not being as good as expected.

‘cause: (informal) because.

Rebel: a person who does not obey rules or accept normal standards of behavior, dress, etc.

Resist:  to fight against (something)to try to stop or prevent (something).

To turn out: to happen, end, or develop in a particular way.

Tendency: a quality that makes something likely to happen or that makes someone likely to think or behave in a particular way.

To keep track (of) something:  to watch or follow the progress of (someone or something).

Treadmill: an exercise machine that has a large belt that moves around while a person walks or runs on it.

Flexible: capable of bending or being bent; 2. easily changed; 3. able to change or to do different things.

Tip: to give useful or secret information to (someone).

Trade off: a situation in which you must choose between or balance two things that are opposite or cannot be had at the same time; 2. something that you do not want but must accept in order to have something that you want.

Goof off: to spend time doing silly or playful things.

Grammar Tip: everyday and every day

“The book is called "Better Than Before: Mastering The Habits Of Our Everyday Lives.”

The words everyday and every day are often confused in English, even by native speakers. Everyday is an adjective that describes a quality of something done daily. We place this word before the noun.

Everyday life is filled with great wonder and great sorrow.

She removed her everyday clothes and put on the beautiful new dress for the party.

Every day is used for something done each day. Placement is usually at the end of the sentence.

I try to study English every day even if it’s only for 5 minutes.

“May you live every day of your life.”― Jonathan Swift

Discussion questions:

1. How important are habits in your life?
2. Do you have any habits that you would like to change?
3. What are some habits that you want to keep?
4. In the story, the author says there are four types of people: upholders, questioners, obligers and rebels. Which of these types are you?
5. Which of the strategies mentioned in the story do you find most effective for making good habits?
6. Are there any strategies for forming good habits not mentioned in the story that work best for you?
7. Would you buy this book? Why or why not?